Primary Submission Category: Race/Ethnicity
The Combined Influence of Gender and Religion: A Mixed Methods Study of Discrimination, Ethnic Identity, and Mental Health Among Arab Americans
Authors: Molly Green,
Presenting Author: Molly Green*
Arab Americans, a small but growing minority group in the US, experience high levels of discrimination and resulting poor mental health outcomes comparable to other ethnic minority groups. For Arab Americans living in the ethnic enclave community in SE Michigan, elements in the community can be protective against poor mental health associated with discrimination. However, it is unclear the ways in which these elements may influence mental health outcomes associated with discrimination. In the initial analysis of the qualitative and qualitative data in this explanatory sequential study, we found a protective effect of ethnic identity on the relationship between discrimination and mental health outcomes, especially for Arab American women. We also found that second generation Arab Americans integrate aspects of both Arab and American cultures and push back against discrimination. Through a joint analysis of these quantitative and qualitative data, we identified and explored elements of the ethnic enclave, including religion and gender roles, which relate to a sense of ethnic identity and discrimination and influence mental health of residents. Our mixed methods results showed how religion and gender have a combined influence on experiences of discrimination. Gender roles explain some difference in the effects of ethnic identity on mental health outcomes and access to protective resources in the community. Visible religious identifiers, particularly among Muslim women, may cause both more frequent discrimination and increased worry about these experiences, possibly causing adverse mental health outcomes. Stigma around mental health, however, prevents many people in the community from seeking care and addressing trauma.